Runion v. Indiana Glass Co.

16 N.E.2d 961, 105 Ind. App. 650, 1938 Ind. App. LEXIS 149
CourtIndiana Court of Appeals
DecidedOctober 22, 1938
DocketNo. 16,000.
StatusPublished
Cited by7 cases

This text of 16 N.E.2d 961 (Runion v. Indiana Glass Co.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Indiana Court of Appeals primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Runion v. Indiana Glass Co., 16 N.E.2d 961, 105 Ind. App. 650, 1938 Ind. App. LEXIS 149 (Ind. Ct. App. 1938).

Opinion

Curtis, P. J.

— The appellant brought his action in the trial court for damages on account of personal injuries. The complaint was in two paragraphs, to each of which a demurrer was addressed for want of facts *651 sufficient to constitute a cause of action. The court sustained each demurrer. The appellant refused to plead further, electing to abide by the rulings on the demurrers, whereupon the court rendered judgment against him that he take nothing by his complaint and that the appellee recover its costs.

It is from the above judgment that this appeal is prosecuted. The errors assigned and relied upon for reversal are alleged error in the ruling on each of said demurrers. From an examination of the two paragraphs of the complaint it would appear that the complaint proceeds upon the doctrine of common law negligence supplemented by the Employer’s Liability Act of 1911. The main point made by the demurrers is that the complaint shows upon its face that the cause of action falls within the Indiana Workmen’s Compensation Act and that therefore the Industrial Board of Indiana had exclusive jurisdiction of the cause of action. We do not believe it necessary to set out the demurrers verbatim nor is it necessary to set out each paragraph of the complaint. If the cause of action falls within the provisions of the Indiana Workmen’s Compensation Act then the ruling of the trial court on each of the demurrers was correct and the judgment should be affirmed. We set out enough of the first paragraph of the complaint for an understanding of the question involved as follows:

“That the defendant is now and has been for many years last past, a corporation engaged in the general business of manufacturing glass at the City of Dunkirk, Jay County, Indiana, and that for many years prior to July 15th, 1933, the defendant has had in its employ one Freeman Miller as Assistant General Manager and Superintendent of its said business, as conducted and carried on by it in the construction and manufacture of said goods; that during all of said time the said Freeman Miller, as a part of his duties and services for the said defendant corporation, had the control, management and direction of all the laborers and employees of the defendant, *652 who were working in and about said defendant’s factory and business; that the said Freeman Miller managed, directed and controlled the said business of the said defendant in said defendant’s factory and in the manufacturing of said glass, and was on July 15, 1933, in the absence of the General Manager, one Frank Batch, acting as Manager and Superintendent of said factory, and that all of defendant’s employees in the said factory were under the control and subject to the orders of the said Freeman Miller on said day, and were each and all bound to, conform to and ordered to obey, and did conform to and obey the said Freeman Miller as such Manager and Superintendent.
“That as a part of the duties and directions given by the Manager and as a part of the employment, the said company and defendant herein had its-plant equipped with a whistle, and on the blowing of a certain signal, which was known as ah emergency or fire signal, all employees and laborers in said factory were required at once to report at the factory for whatever duties or orders the said Freeman Miller, as Manager, Superintendent and Foreman, desired to give. All of which was a part of the employment of each laborer in said defendant’s factory.
“Plaintiff avers that for-months prior to July 15, 1933, this plaintiff was in the service and employment of said defendant, and that during all of said time he did the work and services of a laborer in said factory, and that during all of said time, while he was in the service of said defendant, his work, his position, his duties were in said portion of defendant’s said factory and business so under the control of the said Freeman Miller; that during all of said time, this plaintiff was by directions of the defendant corporation, under the control and supervision and was subject to the orders and authority of the said Freeman Miller, and that during all of said time he had as such employee followed and obeyed the instructions and directions of the said Freeman Miller.
“Plaintiff further avers that on July 15, 1933, and while so in the employ and service of said defendant and after he had returned tó his home from his labors, at about the hour of 6:30 o’clock P. M. on said July 15, 1933, the said corporation directed *653 the signal heretofore described and known as the emergency or fire signal to be given, which was as before stated an order and direction for all employees and laborers to report immediately to the plant and factory of said defendant, and which order and which act of reporting to the plant for service was a part of the duties of this plaintiff and was in the line of his duties of an employee of the defendant corporation, and that this plaintiff following such orders and directions as were understood by the sounding of said whistle, did at said time report to the said Freeman Miller, as such foreman, to assist him and to do all things as ordered and directed by the said Freeman Miller and that certain others of the employees and servants of the defendant, all of whom were then and there under control and subject to the direction of the said Freeman Miller and all of whom, including this plaintiff, were bound to obey the orders and directions of the said Freeman Miller, to do and perform whatever duties were assigned them, and then and there perform and do whatever was stated, ordered and directed by the said Freeman Miller. That one of the glass tanks, which were used in the heating of the sand and other ingredients necessary in the manufacturing of glass, had sprung a leak and that the hot, molten glass was then and there running from said tank, that the said Freeman Miller, then and there acting as Manager, Superintendent and Foreman, ordered and directed this plaintiff to connect the water hose and to turn on the water from a water connection, which was then and there attached and a part of the water supply of said factory, and that said Freeman Miller did then and there direct this plaintiff* to climb up the building on what is known as a batch cart and connect the said hose and to turn on the water, which this plaintiff did, acting at said time under the orders and directions of the said Freeman Miller. That then and there following the directions and orders of the said Freeman Miller, he came down from the position in which he had attached the hose and was standing about fifteen feet from said glass tank, at the side of the said Freeman Miller, waiting for the next order and direction that the said Freeman Miller was about to give. That the said Freeman Miller then *654 and there carelessly and negligently directed one Charles Leport, who had a hold of the-nozzle of the said hose, which this plaintiff had attached to turn the water on the hot and molten glass, which was pouring from the furnace and tank as aforesaid. That the said Freeman Miller carelessly and negligently failed to give any warning of any danger and he then and there well knew that this plaintiff was standing at about fifteen feet from the said glass tank.

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Bluebook (online)
16 N.E.2d 961, 105 Ind. App. 650, 1938 Ind. App. LEXIS 149, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/runion-v-indiana-glass-co-indctapp-1938.